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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22701856">Stay With Me For Now</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrMich/pseuds/MrMich'>MrMich</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Banana Fish (Anime &amp; Manga)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ash and Eiji are both assholes who are very much in love, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Flowers, Fluff, Happy Valentine's Day!, M/M, Shopping, They mock each other like an old married couple</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 11:49:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,498</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22701856</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrMich/pseuds/MrMich</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Eiji squinted his eyes threateningly at Ash.</p><p>“Quit bitching, Eiji, oh my god this is just like the fucking groceries,” Ash bitched back. </p><p>“Which we have to get right this minute because you forgot to last week!” Eiji said, challenging, and with a playful gleam in his eye. </p><p>“You little- I was busy being shot at,” Ash grumbled.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>224</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Stay With Me For Now</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A Valentine's Day fic for my buddy Lui!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eiji stretched, still half asleep, reaching a hand out towards Ash. Ash turned his face towards him, eyes still shut and breath still even, and Eiji couldn’t help but think of how beautiful Ash was. </p><p>Bathed in the soft morning light that came in through their bedroom window, Ash looked like an angel. His hair was lit up a gentle golden color, making it almost seem to glow. His eyelashes seemed almost too long and delicate, made of the same spun gold as his hair. </p><p>Eiji reached out and smoothed a thumb over a crease left by the pillow on Ash’s cheek. </p><p>“Hey, Ash.” Eiji followed the path his thumb had taken with gentle kisses. “Wake up, Ash.”</p><p>Ash grumbled, his previously serene face creasing as he rolled over, grabbing the pillow and shoving it over his head. </p><p>Eiji rolled his eyes. </p><p>He grabbed his own pillow and smashed it against Ash’s back.<br/>
<br/>
“I said wake up!” </p><p>Ash groaned and turned over, pulling his pillow off his face. “What,” he said grumpily. </p><p>Eiji leaned over and kissed the furrow between his eyebrows, smoothing it out before drawing back. </p><p>“Good morning, Ash,” he said pointedly. “It’s a beautiful day, Ash.”</p><p>It was Ash’s turn to roll his eyes. “God, Eiji, good morning.”</p><p>Eiji sat up, the bed shifting underneath him with the movement. The blankets pulled a little, slipping off Ash and gathering in the space in between the two. Ash made a sound in the back of his throat. It might even be called a whine, if someone like Ash Lynx whined. </p><p>“Get <em> up</em>, We’re supposed to go grocery shopping today. There is literally nothing to eat in this house.”</p><p>Ash pulled the blankets back up and over his legs, turning resolutely back into his pillow. “Go by yourself; you’re an adult, you can handle shopping alone.” Came the muffled voice. </p><p>Eiji pursed his lips and stood up, moving around the room to start getting dressed. “I would, if <em> someone </em> hadn’t forgotten to get groceries last week<em>, Ash. </em>I am not taking that many groceries on public transportation with me alone, so you,” Here he jabbed a finger into Ash’s side, “are coming with me to help carry them.”</p><p>“Go later. ‘M not getting up. Too early,” Ash grunted, already sounding like he was falling back asleep. </p><p>“Breakfast is a meal, Ash. A meal that I would like to be eating right now.” </p><p>“Oh Jesus, <em> fine, </em> Eiji. Give me a minute.” Ash rolled over and layed there for another minute. Just as Eiji was about to poke him in the side again, he sat up, still clutching the blankets, and shuffled over to the side of the bed. He glared at Eiji. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re kind of a bastard?”</p><p>“You have. Repeatedly, and mostly when I have to wake you up for something.” Eiji smiled as he stood up, assured that Ash wasn’t going to go straight back to sleep. “I’m heading downstairs. If I have to come back up here, you <em> will </em> be hearing about it for the next week.” He squinted his eyes threateningly at Ash.</p><p>“Quit <em> bitching</em>, Eiji, oh my god this is just like the fucking groceries,” Ash bitched back. </p><p>“Which we have to get right this minute because you forgot to last week!” Eiji said, challenging, and with a playful gleam in his eye. </p><p>“You little- I was busy being <em> shot at</em>,” Ash grumbled. He reached down and grabbed his jeans from where they were lying on the floor and started pulling them on.</p><p>“You should have thought about that before,” Eiji said with a fond smile. He placed his hand on Ash’s shoulder and rubbed his thumb in small, comforting circles to show that he was just teasing.</p><p>Ash stood up and Eiji’s hand slipped off his shoulder, trailing down his forearm, down the line of his arm to his hand, where Ash grabbed it tight in his own. Ash threaded his fingers through Eiji’s and gave a squeeze. Eiji returned it, quick and short. He let his hand linger in Ash’s a moment longer before disentangling it. </p><p>He headed towards their bedroom door and down the stairs to wait for Ash to finish getting ready. </p><p>Eiji pulled his coat and shoes on from where he last left them by the front door. He only waited another couple minutes before he heard Ash on the stairs, the light creak of his footsteps only audible because he’d been listening for it. </p><p>Ash walked over to Eiji, bending down to tie his shoes. He balanced himself against Eiji’s leg, a long line of warmth against Eiji’s shin, reaching up to his knee. Eiji found himself missing the comfort of that warmth when Ash stood up. </p><p>Soon enough, the two were ready to go. </p><p>They set off down the sidewalk to the nearest grocery store, stepping over the cracks in the gray, gum covered cement. Eiji noticed the small weeds growing up between the cracks, the pale green branching out in little tufts.</p><p>The grocery store that they were going to was the one they go to out of convenience, a small one with mostly off brand options. It’s become a compromise between the two of them. Ash is secretly picky about the brands of food that he likes but Eiji doesn’t want to travel any father than he has to with his hands full of groceries, so whoever’s week it is to buy groceries gets to pick where they get them. </p><p>Ash had long since given up on getting Eiji to go to his grocery store on the rare occasion they did joint grocery shopping, so he just folded his hand around Eiji’s and kept walking. </p><p>Eiji looked over at him and smiled. He opened his mouth to tease Ash about being awake in the morning when they turned the corner and bright, blooming colors caught his attention. </p><p>There was a small flower shop just across the street, its front window filled with bouquets of every type and color scheme. </p><p>One in particular caught his gaze. </p><p>A bouquet of sunflowers sat in the window of the flower shop, the yellow gold petals reflecting the light, bringing an extra sense of brightness to the street, outshining even the other flowers. </p><p>They were also the same color as Ash’s hair in the early morning sunlight. </p><p>“Wait here for a minute, Ash,” he said, not even waiting for Ash to say anything in reply before he was off, hurrying across the street. The bell jingled above him as he opened the door, and a burst of warm air welcomed him alongside the scent of flowers and dirt. </p><p>“Good morning,” the store clerk greeted, smiling. </p><p>“Hello,” Eiji greeted absently back, eyes still fixed on the sunflowers. He turned to the clerk then. “Um- I’d like to buy the bouquet of sunflowers.” He grabbed it gently and shuffled up to the sale counter, setting the flowers down to make the purchase. Once done, he took the sunflowers back into his grasp, holding them close to his chest.</p><p>“Thank you,” he told the woman behind the counter, before turning around and heading back towards the door. He saw Ash standing there looking at the flower shop in exasperation. Eiji left, the bell chiming a goodbye above him, and he steadily made his way over to Ash, the stems of the sunflowers clenched in his fist, the flowers outstretched just beneath his chin. </p><p>He paid no more attention to the cracks or the weeds in the sidewalk or the street, his footsteps tapping rhythmically against the cement as he came closer and closer to Ash until he was standing right in front of him.</p><p>He presented the bouquet to his partner, the bright yellow of the flowers a shock of color caught in his hands. “Hey, Ash,” he said with a smile. “Stay with me, for now?” </p><p>Ash took the bouquet from Eiji and cradled it in the crook of his arm and huffed a small laugh out at the echoing of his own words, once. He leaned in close to Eiji. </p><p>“I’d stay with you forever.”</p><p>Eiji linked their pinkies together. “You promise?” </p><p>“Promise.” </p><p>Ash leaned down that last little bit and kissed Eiji softly, their lips meeting gently. He pulled back ever so slightly, their breaths still mingling in the chilly air, faces close together. Finally they separated, though their hands stayed linked together. They set off again, towards their original destination, walking so close together that their shoulders bumped against each other with each step. </p><p>Ash shifted the flowers in his arms. “This is a nice surprise, Eiji, but I still can’t believe you made me get up this early.”</p><p>Eiji huffed and stepped on the inside of Ash’s shoe, lightly tripping him even as he smiled. “You just ruined the mood, asshole.”</p><p>Ash just laughed at him and shifted closer. Together they walked off down the street, their pinkies still locked in promise. </p><p> </p><p> </p>
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